Household lighting unit



. 5, 1933. J. o. CADIEUX HOUSEHOLD LIGHTING UNIT Filed July 25, 19:50

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M a w.

Dec. 5, 1933. J. o; CADIEUX HOUSEHOLD LIQHTING UNIT Filed July 25, 19302 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Jas epk 0. QJz'ea/Z- Mun Patented Dec. 5, 1933HOUSEHOLD LIGHTING UNIT Joseph 0. Cadieux, llierlden, Conn, assignor toConnecticut Telephone 8; Electric Corporation, Merlden, Conn, acorporation of Delaware Application July 25, 1930. Serial No. 470,587

4 Claims. (ct 240-81) My invention relates particularly to lampssuitable for household illumination.

One object is to provide a simple, compact and reliable lamp of theincandescent gas type. So-

called neon and similar gas tubes have been utilized for signalling andadvertising purposes but so far as I am aware no convenient andpractical form of such lamp has been devised for what would ordinarilybe termed "household illumi- 13 nation, such as table lamps, floorlamps, ceiling lights and drop lights. Such lamps to be practical shouldoperate on the usual 110 volt or 220 volt commercial power mains and inview of the fact that such tubes in order to be eifectively andeilloiently' luminescent must have an applied voltage of somewhere from1000 to 5000 or 10,000

volts, it is necessary to step-up the commercial current. I havetherefore endeavored to provide a compact form of construction which iseasily portable and can be readily installed and embodying transformingmeans as well as the luminescent tube. Such a construction comprises acasing including a transformer adapted to be supported within a form ofbody which can be made ornamental and connected to the housing as asocket having terminals directly connected with the high potentialoutput of the transformer. The gas tube itself is mounted within a basepreferably provided with prongs adapted to be connected detachably withthe terminals in the socket. I also may provide a switch for controllingthe circuit and preferably this is mounted in the housing and arrangedin the input or low potential side of the transformer.

The tube itself containing the incandescible gas is preferably coiledhelically and protected within a globe which is mounted in the same basewhich supports the tube. A shade may be conveniently secured directly tothis globe so as to provide a compact and conveniently useful assembly.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a lamp embodying theimprovements of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the socket.

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing circuit arrangements for such a lamp.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a table lamp of my invention, a portion of theshade being broken 50 away.

Fig. 6 shows the invention as applied to a floor lamp.

Fig. 7 shows the invention applied to a drop light or pendent.

Fig. 8 is a side view and section showing the invention with a modifiedform applied to a ceiling light.

The body 10 of the lamp may be of any suitable design and adapted tocontain the housing 11 within which is mounted the transformer 12 whichmay be completely impregnated with or embedded in a suitable insulatingcomposition.

The socket 14 has a flange 15 secured to the top of the body, forinstance, by screws 16 secured in inserts 17 in the upper edge of thebody. The socket and the transformer housing may be secured together bya number of screws such as 18.

The socket contains circuit terminals 19 preferably in the form ofspring clips secured by eye- 7 lets 20 in the bottom of chambers 21. Theoutput or high potential leads 22 of the transformer are directlyconnected to these terminals 19 in the eyelets 20. The socket ispreferably provided with a flange 23 and an insulating disc 24 is in- 7serted within the flange and adapted to cover the upper ends of thechambers 21 with the exception of small openings through the disc 24provided for the prongs 25 of the lamp proper.

The lamp has an insulating base 26 from which go the prongs 25 extend.The glass tube 27 contains the gas used for illuminating purposes andthe ends of the tube are provided with suitable electrodes 28 connectedto the respective prongs 25.

A globe 29 has its lower edge secured within a 35 flange of the base 26so as to provide a conveniently assembled and protected device which canbe transported, sold and used with a minimum likelihood to breakage.This lamp is adapted to be inserted into the socket and readily removed9Q but it will be seen that the high potential terminals 19 in thesocket are so completely housed and guarded that there is practically nodanger of accidental contact with them even when the lamp is removed.

Preferably I provide a suitable form of switch such as 30 which issecured in the socket member 14 and connected in the low potential sideof the transformer so that the switch will not be subjected to thedestructive effect of the high poten 10 tial current.

In some cases it may be desirable to employ a resistance 31 to cut downthe current and reduce or dim the light and for this purpose a specialswitch or rheostat 32 may be employed as indicated in Fig. 3.

The construction above described has the great advantage of extremelylow power consumption and at the same time produces a pleasant andmellow light, the color of which may be suited to 11.

the particular needs of the individual case by the use of an appropriategas or mixture of gases.

For convenience in handling and assembly I may provide a shade .35 whichmay have a spider 36 secured directly to the top of the globe 29 bymeans of a screw 37 passing through the rubber washer 38 and clamp unit39. In this way the lamp tube and shade may be handled together andobviously the shade may be readily removed when desired for thesubstitution of another shade or the replacement of a tube.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6 the invention is embodied in a floortype lamp having a pedestal 40 with a receptacle 41 at the top in whichis mounted the transformer and socket combination previously described.

In the construction shown in Fig. '7 the lamp is embodied in adrop-light having a canopy 43 with a supporting chain 44 and a shell 45which encloses the transformer and socket combination and also supportsa shade or globe 46. In this case I have shown a switch with a pull-typechain or cord 47.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 8 the transformer and socketcombination is mounted within an outlet box 50 which also supports theglobe 51. I have also shown a modification of the lighting tube 52adapted to give a wider dispersion of the light.

It will be apparent that the other modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and arrangement and in the combination of parts.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a gas tube comprising a base portion,spaced terminal clips in said base portion, a tube having electrodesadapt ed to be detachably mounted in said clips, and rigid conductingterminal prongs connected to said clips and projecting exteriorly ofsaid base for insertion in a socket connected to a source of electricalenergy and a globe mounted in said base enveloping said clips and gastube.

2. In a gas lamp, a housing, a transformer mounted therein, a socketmounted thereon and forming an extension thereof and cover therefor,depressed pockets formed in said socketand extending inwardly of saidhousing, terminal clips mounted in said pockets in electrical engagementwith said transformer, a gas tube comprising a base portion, spacedterminal clipsin said base portion, a tube having electrodes adapted tobe detachably mounted in said clips, and rigid nonfragile terminalprongs connected to said clips and projecting exteriorly of said basefor detachable engagement with the terminal clips mounted in the socketpockets.

3. In a portable household lighting unit, a housing, a transformermounted therein, a socket mounted on said housing and. forming anextension thereof and cover therefor, depressed pockets formed in saidsocket and extending inwardly of said housing, terminal clips mounted insaid pockets at their innermost ends for engagement with the prongs of alampsaid housing, socket and associated parts forming a unitarystructure adapted to detachably receive a lighting tube having rigidconductive prongs projecting therefrom so as to engage said terminalclips in said pockets when the tube is inserted in said socket.

4. A household lighting unit including a base structure having anopening in its upper end, a housing having a projecting flange engagingsaid base structure so that the housing is supported substantiallytherewithin, a transformer mounted within said housing and protectedthereby, a socket structure seated upon said housing and forming adetachable cover therefor and having recesses extending downwardly,terminal clips supported within said recesses and connected to saidtransformer output, and a tube base unit having rigidly separatedterminal prongs adapted to enter said recesses and detachably engagesaid terminal clips therewithin.

JOSEPH O. CADIEUX.

